Family Ties
by immertreu
Summary: 4 ABY, during the Bakura crisis: Luke and Leia's secret gets out. Mon Mothma demands the truth of the twins. Han tries to be supportive. - Follow-up to my fic "Aftershocks"


**Family Ties**

by immertreu

July 1, 2012

* * *

Mon Mothma's summons came as a surprise to Luke. Not that the rebel leader requested his presence – Luke felt as if he'd attended every single meeting since his return from Endor – but that she'd asked him to meet her in her private quarters instead of the usual briefing room was startling. He really hoped this one wasn't one of those secret meetings which meant that the still fledgling new alliance needed their sole Jedi to go on yet another crazy mission because no one else would be able to fulfill it – and come back alive.

Sighing because he could still remember the ache of every single bone and muscle in his body from his fight with Vader and the Emperor, Luke turned the final corner leading to Mon Mothma's rooms. He lost his stride for a moment when he saw Leia standing outside the door. He hadn't known she would be there, too.

His sister greeted him with one if her brilliant smiles, and Luke stepped closer to hug her. It felt simply wonderful to be able to do this. He'd never realized how lonely he was until he discovered he had a twin. And it seemed Leia felt the same.

Luke had always craved affection. From his uncle who, although he tried very hard to love him, hadn't been able to give him the acceptance he so desperately needed. From his aunt, who'd loved him with her whole heart but felt pity and fear for him because she knew his path in life would be a difficult and lonely one. From his so-called friends on Tatooine who'd never understood what made him tick – the flying, the thought of freedom he so urgently sought, the wish to leave this dustball they called home and always would, although Luke doubted he would ever return to Tatooine.

And then from Biggs, of course, who had always been like a big brother to him – or maybe more like an older cousin who tried to keep his young relative out of trouble as best he could. Biggs was lost to him now, but he'd found a best friend and a sister instead. It was part of what kept Luke going day after day, because as long as they lived, his home would be with them.

Leia drew back, smiling up at him as if she'd sensed his train of thoughts – and maybe she had, unconsciously picking up on his contemplative mood – and turned to ring the chime. The door opened, and Mon Mothma herself stood in the entryway. "Come on in," she said and stepped aside.

Luke frowned in confusion. She wasn't smiling, and her voice didn't hold the usual warmth and friendliness that had always been there when she'd talked to Luke and Leia in the past. Yet she wasn't angry with them. She seemed simply…troubled?

Mon Mothma closed the hatch behind them and motioned for them to sit down on the sofa in the middle of the combined living room/kitchen area they had just entered.

Room on a space ship was precious, so everyone was used to sharing a cabin. You were lucky to get one of your own. Only the highest ranking leaders were given quarters a little more spacious, often consisting of one room like the one they were sitting in now and an adjacent bedroom with a refresher tucked into one corner.

Leia and Han shared quarters like these. Luke liked the tiny cabin he'd been given and had declined grander accomodations. He spent most of his time in the med-bay or meditating anyway, recovering from his latest brush with death.

Returning to the here and now, Luke concentrated on the woman taking the seat opposite them on the couch. She fixed them both with a stare, obviously not in the mood for making small talk or exchanging pleasantries, so he kept silent and waited to hear what she had to say. Leia followed his lead, for once.

Mon Mothma cut right to the chase. "There is something I need you to explain to me," she said without any kind of pre-amble. "Some…inconsistency has turned up which has us worried."

Luke cast a questioning glance at Leia, but it was clear from her curious expression that she didn't know what the other woman was talking about either. "Which is…?" Leia prompted.

Mon Mothma gazed at Leia, and Luke caught a tiny glimpse of worry and something close to annoyance from the stern rebel leader. "It seems you haven't been totally honest with us." She raised a hand to ward off Leia's startled reply and continued, glaring at Luke this time, "I don't doubt your loyalty, and that is why we are having this conversation in my private quarters and not in a detention cell, but I need to know the truth." She didn't give Luke time to reply either and simply said, looking both of them in the eye in turn, "Who are you?"

Luke suddenly understood, and so did Leia. He could feel the moment when realization set in, and he caught the fear she quickly fought back.

They had hoped they could deal with this a little while longer, as a family, before telling anyone beside Han. Leia still didn't feel comfortable knowing the truth about her and Luke's parentage, but there hadn't been time to really talk about it because the universe kept throwing obstacles into their path.

Leia looked at Luke, clearly not keen on being the one to reveal their relationship to Mon Mothma, so Luke took his sister's hand – ignoring the raised eyebrow that his simple action caused on their questioner – and said, "Let me guess: The med-droids contacted you, said there was some weird data you needed to look at, and because you couldn't understand what it meant, you called us here to explain the situation to you. Am I right?"

Mon Mothma nodded, still grim-faced, and Luke continued, "So let me explain. Yes, the test results are correct. Leia and I are close relatives. In fact, we are twins." Mon Mothma looked startled, but Luke didn't give her the chance to interrupt him. "I guess they noticed after Leia went in for treatment on her blaster shot? My DNA has been on record much longer..." Glancing at Mon Mothma and noticing her tiny nod, he continued, "Anyway, my name really is Luke Skywalker. My aunt and uncle took me in when I was a baby."

Luke tried not to dwell on the fact that he didn't even know if Owen and Beru Lars were actually related to him or had simply pretended to be. He squeezed Leia's hand in encouragement and explained, "We were separated at birth. My sister was adopted by Bail Organa and his wife, and they raised her as their own to keep her safe. It's as simple as that."

"I see." But it was clear from Mon Mothma's puzzled expression that she didn't. She observed the twins for a few heartbeats, trying to compare what she already knew with what she had just heard – and eventually gave up the pretense. "Okay, I don't. Why the secrecy? Why wasn't anyone supposed to know? Why didn't you tell us right from the beginning?"

"Because we didn't know," Leia finally cut in. This at least was a question she could answer honestly without being ashamed of her words. "I only learned of it on Endor. My brother hadn't known much longer."

Leia's words made Luke so happy he had a hard time not to grin at Mon Mothma openly. _My brother…_Whatever else Vader had done to her and the ones she loved, he had also given her a sibling she loved so much that she practically glowed in the Force when she spoke of him. Luke smiled inwardly and ignored Leia's pointed glare that asked what was wrong. This was not the time to talk about it.

Leia shrugged, and both siblings turned back toward Mon Mothma who looked at them curiously. "Why do I get the feeling I missed something important here?" she asked. Then she waved her own question away and asked another one instead. "Never mind. So if you really are Luke Skywalker" – she gestured at Luke – "then who was your father? Your mother? And why did they change Leia's name when she was adopted but not yours?"

Luke could only shake his head, trying to hide the frustration at hearing those questions he'd asked himself a million times since he'd learned the truth. "We do not know," he said. "In fact, we don't know much more than what we just told you. We were separated in order to protect us, but we don't know when exactly or where or by whom." _I really need to ask Obi-Wan about that the next time I see him. If I ever see him again._ Luke had no idea how being a Force ghost worked.

Mon Mothma humphed, not entirely convinced, and Luke could see that his avoiding the subject of who their parents had been hadn't fooled her. The graying woman hadn't become a leader of the rebellion and one of the Emperor's most hated enemies for nothing. She was too sharp to miss anything this important.

Luke hesitated, not sure how to continue, when he felt Leia's hand in his. His sister was giving him permission to go on with a slight tightening of her grip. As if she were preparing for the worst. Taking a deep breath, Luke said. "We don't know who our mother was…yet." He really hoped they would find out one day. "Our father was Anakin Skywalker."

There, he'd said it. It felt strange to speak his father's name like this. Not too long ago, his father had been a nameless shadow, a figure of his imagination and dreams, a guardian angel – who then had turned into a creature of his worst nightmares. And now he was…Anakin. As simple as that. He would never be Dad, but he would always be his father because he had redeemed himself in the end. The father had saved his son's life and in doing so had given his own. What more sincere way of renouncing your previous dark allegiance could there be?

Mon Mothma's eyes widened, and Luke knew she recognized the name. No one who was alive knew that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader were the same – except him, Han and Leia, of course – but Obi-Wan had told him a little about Anakin's fame in the Clone Wars. There had been many Jedi in the universe back then, but not every one of them had been a war hero.

Steeling himself for what he had to say next, he finally added, "Our father did not die in the Purge..." Mon Mothma jerked, eyes boring into his, when he finished, "He fell to the dark side…and became Darth Vader."

There was no going back now.

Mon Mothma stared openly, unable to suppress the shudder that shook her when the truth finally settled in. Leia crushed Luke's left hand in hers, projecting hate and despair into the Force, and Luke's heart broke for his sister once more.

He had learned to live with the terrible secret, helped by his conviction that his father had died a Jedi, not a Sith – but the abstract concepts made no difference to Leia. She hadn't met the man their father had become. Hadn't seen the joy in his eyes at looking at his only son. Hadn't heard his final words, filled with love for both his children, his sorrow and regret. His shame.

Darth Vader had done horrible things, and Anakin Skywalker had taken part in them, there was no doubt about that. Yet Luke had found a way to forgive the man – not the monster he'd become. He could only hope that one day Leia would find comfort in that, too.

Scolding himself for drifting away in thoughts while his and Leia's future with the Alliance hung in the balance, Luke lurched out of his musings and found Mon Mothma still looking at him. This time there was more pity than anger in her face.

"You realize I'll have to tell the highest ranking members of our cause?" she finally asked, sounding more tired and weary than Luke could remember.

He nodded. "Of course."

They sat in silence for a moment. When Mon Mothma didn't make any move to ask any more questions or demand an explanation of them, Luke gave Leia's hand a gentle squeeze and made to stand. "If that is all…"

Mon Mothma visibly shook herself from her thoughts and smiled at them wanly. "Of course. You're free to go. Just…don't go too far, please? I guess the others will have some questions as well."

Luke tugged Leia to her feet. "We understand," he said. "Thank you." And with that, he led Leia out of Mon Mothma's quarters because he could feel that his sister was in desperate need of some time alone, without a stranger – even if it was an old and well-meaning friend – looking on.

The siblings walked through the halls of the Alliance's big warship in silence, hardly noticing the few other rebels they passed on their way.

Leia rounded on Luke the second the door of his cabin had closed behind them. "How can you be so calm about this?" she yelled.

Luke took an involuntary step backward. He'd never heard his sister this riled up – not even when she had been arguing with Han all the time, back when they had first met.

Leia gave Luke no time to come up with a retort. "I think I liked you better when you were that wide-eyed kid who jumped at every opportunity for adventure and didn't hold back any of his thoughts and feelings!" she added. And with that she simply turned and left.

"Leia…"

Her harsh words stung. Luke knew she didn't mean them, that she was angry out of fear and confusion and not because she didn't appreciate him and his newfound pool of knowledge and placidity – but it hurt nonetheless. Sighing, he settled down for some meditation to gather his thoughts because following his twin would just make matters worse. He could only hope that Han wasn't in their cabin – or had found a way to deal with his girlfriend's volatile temper by now.

Grinning slightly at the thought of Han and Leia having another one of their loud – and infamous – arguments they both so loved, Luke closed his eyes. He had never been fond of the famous Jedi calm and patience. Yoda had accused his apprentice of impatience and improvidence more than once, but Luke didn't need the Force to tell him that it was never wise to step into the path of an approaching storm – especially if it was as dimunitive and therefore deceiving in its nature as his little sister.

Luke snorted. Although Leia would never admit it, they both knew that he was the older one of the twins. Chuckling despite himself, Luke took another deep breath and finally cleared his mind of any thought.

* * *

Luke's eyes snapped open two hours later when his cabin door whooshed open. Annoyed at the interruption he was about to jump to his feet and dress down whoever didn't even have the decency to announce himself when he saw that it was Han Solo standing in his doorway. His old friend waved at him cheerfully, his usual cocky grin on his face that almost always meant trouble.

"Hi, buddy," Han said and sauntered in. "Thought you would like some dinner." The door snapped shut behind him.

Luke rolled his eyes in mock annoyance and got up from the floor. "Hi, yourself. So, where is it? Did you hide it in your pockets?" He started toward Han as if he wanted to search his friend but stopped when the other man stepped back and waved him away with a small grin.

"Of course not," Han said and lifted his customary black vest to illustrate. "I'm here to take you to the mess hall. Come on!"

Han turned back to the door, but Luke stood rooted to the spot, suspicion taking over. "Why didn't you just call me?" he asked. "I do have a comlink, you know."

Han didn't look him in the eye and shrugged uncomfortably, suddenly surious. "Yeah, I know."

Luke heard the unspoken "but" and sighed. "But you wanted to talk to me about something and you didn't want Leia to hear. Right?" He didn't give Han time to reply. "Let me guess, you're here to lecture me on my brotherly misconduct and tell me to leave Leia alone?"

Han looked slightly abashed. "More or less, yes. She's taking it really hard, you know."

Luke nodded. "I know, and I understand. Hey, look at the belated reaction I had." They both grinned ruefully, remembering Luke's breakdown on Endor the night before, and Luke added, "but she needs to come to terms with it. She can't carry this resentment and hate around for ever."

Han stirred in anger. "Why not? It's her decision to forgive – or not. Anyway, it's too soon. You can't rush these things. And she's not even a Jedi." He paused for a moment. "Do you really think she'll fall to the dark side?"

His voice was rising in defense of his girlfriend who wasn't there, but Luke interrupted him before Han could start to shout in earnest.

"No, that's not what I'm worried about." His friend looked dubious, so Luke said. "But she's only hurting herself with her dark thoughts because she's dwelling on it. Or can you honestly tell me that she's not having nightmares, that she doesn't get up at night and stare out the window of your cabin for hours without even realizing you're keeping vigil with her? I know Vader has haunted her even before we knew Anakin Skywalker was our father."

Han had been about to shake his head but stopped short when Luke's voice almost broke. "She's hurting, Han, and I'm not sure how to help her. The only way I can think of is to make her understand, but she won't listen to me, let alone talk about her feelings." He turned away, his shoulders drooping uncharacteristically.

They stood in silence for a moment, bound by the pain for a woman they both loved, until Han scrubbed a hand through his hair and Luke let out a suffering sigh. They looked at each other and started chuckling simultaneously.

Han recovered first. "Oh, pal, how did we end up here?" he asked, the seriousness from only a few moments before vanishing rapidly.

Luke grinned in reply, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I think it would be fair to say that a certain princess had a hand in it."

"Right. So…no more pressing the point for now, okay? I'll try to talk to Leia, but I can tell you that she's simply not ready yet. She needs more time." Han regarded his young friend with a warning in his eyes, and Luke nodded.

"Okay. But I'm not giving up, just letting her deal with it on her own a little longer."

"Fair enough," Han replied and clapped a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Now come on, Leia is waiting for us. I promised her to make you eat. You still look a little pale, and you're gonna need all your strength. We don't know what's waiting for us at Bakura."

"Oh, joy! Thanks for cheering me up." And with that, Luke let his friend drag him out of the room and toward a very late dinner.

* * *

Mon Mothma called them back when Luke had just taken the first bite of his sandwich. His stomach growled in protest, but Luke ignored it and turned to Leia. "You ready?"

His sister nodded. "Guess I have to be." And with a last look at Han who smiled at them encouragingly, Luke and Leia made their way toward Mon Mothma's quarters for the second time that evening.

Their welcome was much more relaxed this time, and the siblings took the proffered seats on the couch with less apprehension than before. Mon Mothma didn't waste any time with pre-ambles this time, either, but she gazed at the twins warmly when she started speaking.

"First of all, I need to apologize to you both. My reaction earlier this evening was uncalled for, but your revelation brought back some very painful memories for me." Luke and Leia didn't reply but merely smiled in response to the heartfelt confession, so Mon Mothma continued. "I've just come back from a meeting with Admiral Ackbar and General Madine."

Seeing the identical anxious expressions on Luke and Leia's faces, she added hastily, "They both agree with me that what you disclosed to me earlier today is of no consequence regarding our trust in you. We understand that you are carrying a heavy burden, and we respect that it is your secret to reveal to the public whenever you feel the time is right."

She nodded to Leia who sat in her seat, straight-backed and unmoving. Luke sensed how hard it was for her to listen to this.

"I understand your reluctance to talk about your father, and I can only guess how frustrating and even scary the mystery about your parentage is." Leia didn't reply, so Mon Mothma said, "They tell me I'm a good listener, so if you ever need someone to talk to, my door is open for you at any time."

This finally made Leia smile, albeit a little weakly. "Thank you," she replied, "I do appreciate the offer. And one day I may take you up on it. But right now it's a family matter." She cast a glance at Luke who smiled back at her.

Mon Mothma simply nodded. "I understand. As I said earlier, the others do have some questions about the matter, but that can wait. Time is short, and you're leaving for Bakura in the morning." Then she focused on Luke.

"Your heritage is a dangerous one but also a wonderful opportunity to bring back some of the light the universe hasn't seen in far too long. In the Old Republic and probably even before that, the Jedi have been the keepers of peace in the galaxy. Even before I learned that Anakin Skywalker was your father, I didn't envy you your position as the sole remaining Jedi. I cannot imagine the burden you carry, Luke, but I do know that a lesser man would have been crushed beneath it by now."

Luke didn't know what to reply to that, so he kept silent, listening to the feeling of sympathy and honesty Mon Mothma was unconsciously projecting. It was good to know that she was still their friend.

"We – I – will help you as far as we can. You don't need me to tell you how dangerous your powers can be. But beware: There are others who do not look kindly upon the Jedi or think of them as benevolent guardians of peace in the universe. Many think only of Vader and the Emperor when they hear of the mysterious Force. They have forgotten or never known the good you can do. And some are simply jealous." Mon Mothma looked grim when she said this.

"We will respect your request and not reveal your relation or that you are both Anakin Skywalker's children. Not only because we honor and value your friendship and want to make this as easy for you as possible, but also because we don't want to put an additional risk on Leia out into the open. An untrained Jedi may be an alluring target for some of the universe's more ruthless bounty hunters or the surviving fanatics who still want revenge for their murdered Emperor."

Mon Mothma regarded Leia for a moment and then turned back to Luke. "Will you train her?"

"Uhm…" Luke didn't know what to say without risking his sister's wrath once more, but Leia spoke her mind over his mumbled reply.

"'She' is right here, and no, he will not train me. Not right now, at least. I need time to decide what to do with this knowledge, and at the moment there are more pressing matters I need to attend to. My personal problems will and have to wait for now."

Mon Mothma looked worried at the icy tone in Leia's voice but refrained from asking anything else. "Of course." She nodded apologetically. "I am sorry I had to call you here twice today, and I thank you for your patience with us – with me. You should get some rest now. The Force knows we have been running around like madmen ever since this whole rebellion started, and it won't stop anytime soon."

Hearing the dimissal in Mon Mothma's voice Luke and Leia started to stand, but Mon Mothma held Luke back with a questioning glance. "A word?"

Luke sank down into his seat again and smiled up at Leia who looked at them curiously. "Of course," he agreed and addressed his sister. "Why don't you go and finish that dinner with Han? I'll follow you shortly."

Leia nodded a little miffed and stalked out of the room. Mon Mothma gazed after her thougthfully. "She's not taking it well, is she?"

Her open concern reminded Luke that Mon Mothma wasn't just a leader of the Alliance but also a very old friend of Leia's, a motherly figure in his sister's life.

Luke tried to appear more confident than he felt when he said, "She will be okay. You've known Leia longer than I have. She's strong. And she's got Han now."

Mon Mothma wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? We could send another diplomat to Bakura and give her some time…" Her voice trailed off when Luke fixed her with a stare.

"You can't send somebody else because there simply is no one we trust enough, and Leia wouldn't allow it anyway. She'll be fine." This time he almost believed it himself when he said it. "She just needs some time to come to terms with…it. I'm not the one she wants to talk to right now because I remind her too much of our father." He swallowed audibly and continued gamely, "But Han will set her straight. And even if he can't, he'll definitely give her something to think about. She'll face her demons sooner or later, and she won't do it alone."

"I see." Mon Mothma backed down in defeat.

They both knew they had no real choice right now but to fight on with all the personnel they had. The Emperor was dead, his Empire crumbling, but not everybody had heard about it yet. Many Imperials still didn't want to believe it to be true and fought back with all their might because what other choice did they have? What else had they ever known in life?

The mopping up and bringing peace to the galaxy part of the Rebellion would take years if not centuries, and everybody involved in the Alliance knew it. Many of the battles to come would not be fought on the battlefield but by diplomats and peacemakers, negotiators and dignitaries – and Leia was the best of them.

Luke and Mon Mothma regarded each other in silence for a moment until Luke got up with a sad smile and a polite dip of the head. Mon Mothma responded in the same way and led him to the door.

"Bring her back safely, Luke."

"I will."

And with that burden added to all the others he was already carrying, Luke went out the door and in search of all the family he had left in this world.

**The End**


End file.
